The first phase in a major project to provide a new school building for pupils at an inner-city primary school looks set to be approved next week.

Planning permission is being sought for a new building on the existing playing field at Princeville Primary School, which would see a new £2.6 million modular building assembled on the Shearbridge site.

This would then allow further expansions to be made to the building and eventually see the old school building being demolished.

The whole scheme is designed to allow the school to increase its intake from 60 to 90 pupils in each year and is part of the Expanding Schools Programme.

Steven Jenks, lead officer provision and capital for children’s services at Bradford Council, said: “The scheme is a new £2.6m building which is due to commence on site this summer and would be available to the school by January 2013. The scheme would be built as a ‘Sunesis’ design. This means that most of the elements will be manufactured off-site and then assembled on-site. This modular approach follows Central Government recommendations that school buildings should utilise innovative construction methods and processes to obtain best value.

“This design is for a modified one-form-of-entry school building and it is anticipated that a future follow-on project will increase accommodation. The old school building is being replaced as part of the Expanding Schools Programme which has been funded from the basic need grant.“ As part of the plans, the existing Year 3 block will be retained to provide facilities for community use.

A further planning application which will allow the expansion to a three-form entry is expected to be determined shortly. This includes a new two-storey block of 12 classrooms with a sports hall and community facilities, and an extension consisting of a one-storey block containing three classrooms.

Once all these buildings are up and running, the old building would be demolished to allow a new multi-use games area, football pitch and hard play area to be created.

The Council’s design and conservation team have objected to the proposal on the grounds that the existing school building, which was constructed in 1878, is of a good quality and enhances the immediate area.

First phase planning permission will be determined at a meeting of the Council’s regulatory and appeals committee on Thursday, June 28, which meets at City Hall, Bradford, from 10am.